Worst Dallas Mavericks team of all time

Without a doubt, the worst Dallas Mavericks team of all time won just 11 games in the 1992-1993 season. Back when tanking wasn’t as completely obvious or as popularized as it is in today’s game, the 1992-93 Mavericks played some of the worst basketball anyone in the NBA has ever seen.

Tanking an NBA season was unheard of and considered dishonorable, but the Mavericks were one of the worst teams in the league, so no one paid any attention. Coming off a 22-win season in 1991-92, the Mavericks cut any player with at least five years of NBA experience, except for veteran point guard Derek Harper, for a fresher and younger look for the team.

The Mavericks played several rookies in their rotation including Jim Jackson, the Mavericks’ first-round pick (4th overall) in the 1992 draft. The Mavericks had high hopes for Jackson’s development going into the season, but after a lengthy contract dispute throughout the entire season, he only managed to play 28 games as a rookie.

The 1992-93 Dallas Mavericks were the worst team in franchise history

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An inexperienced team without their newly acquired first-round pick, the Mavericks managed to post historically the fifth-worst NBA regular season record of all time at 11-71. The team was outscored by an average of 15 points per game, and they lost by double-digits 50 times during this season, including a 58-point loss to the Sacramento Kings.

Dallas’ roster was set up to fail, but no one thought the team would be this terrible. With star player Derek Harper on the floor, the Mavericks were an embarrassing 8-54 and an even worse 3-17 without Harper on the court.

There were a few bright spots through this horrific season, as Jim Jackson manage to put up some impressive stats averaging 19.2 points along with 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

This historical losing season also allowed the Mavericks to net the fourth overall pick once again for the 1993 draft where they selected Jamal Mashburn. The tanking would continue throughout the 1993-1994 season, netting them the second overall pick in the 1994 draft. This pick would become future Hall-of-Famer and current Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, forming the incomparable “Three J’s”.

The Dallas Mavericks have had some terrible seasons throughout the years, primarily during the entire 1990s decade, but none have been as unbearable to relive as a Mavericks fan as the 1992-1993 team.